Railroad-crossing.



J. W. BALDWIN, In.

RAILROAD CROSSING. I APPLICATIOK FILED A2123, 1908. 928,238. P PatentedJuly 20, 1000.

2 BHEETi-IHBBT 1.

Wham; 1 lawn-for m1 runs. in. mun-mum; m c.

J. W. BALDWIN, In. RAILROAD CROSSING.

2 Hanna's-sum: 2.

/ yaw E STATEQ PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN w. BALDWIN, JR, 0F TOLEDO, 0111(1- RAILROAD-CROSSING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1909.

i Application filedltpri123, lace. Serial No. 423,779.

Be it known that. I, John .lV. lannwnv', J12, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Toledo. in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossings;and- I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the inventioinsuch as will enable others skilled in theart towhich it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to railroad crossings, and the objectof the. sameis to provide simple a-ndefl'ect-ive means whereby the rails of eitherof "two intersecting tracks may be made continuous with absolute safety.

T 0 this end the invention embodies the novel arrangement andconstruction hereinaftershown, described and claimed.

-In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 a is a plan view of my inventionshowing a means ofoperation; Fig. 2' is an elevation partly in sectionon line wm, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation showingthe operating mechanism, the section being indicated by the line y'-y,Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is a plan view of the girder support for the movablerails, this view showing the girder support before being placed inposition.

.1, 1 and 2, 2 indicate the rails of two intersecting tracks, and 3, 3are the rails of a movable track adapted to be operated inthe mannerhereinafter described to register with either of the intersecting tracksto render the same continuous. The 'ails of the movable track areconnected by a yoke 4 and tie-rods 5 to maintain them rigidly inposition, and the yoke 4 at a central point is mounted to tilt slightlyon a horizontal axis in either direction, the construction employedbeing a cross-pin 6 carried in the head 7 of the centerbolt 8. By thismeans the movable rail sections adapt themselves to differences of elevation in the tracks 1, 1 and 2, 2. The centerbolt is mounted to rotatefreely in a sleeve 9 externally screw-threaded to raise or lower whenrotated in the casting 10, the pitch of I the screw upon the sleevebeing steep preferably to reduce the rotation'to a minimum in theoperation of the mechanism. The means for rotatingthe sleeve consists ofa segmental gear 11 secured thereto and a rack 12 meshing therewith, therack bemgmoved backward or forward to raise or 'lowerthe' sleeve by arod 13 actuated by a suitable lever (not shown) connected with its oppo-.the rails 1,. 1 and, 2, 2. The girders, 17, may be cast of {steel withthe top sides 18 prefer ably tapered in opposite directions to shed anyparticles of material that may fall there 011.,and the lower sides ofthe movable rail sections are shaped complementary to the top sides ofthe girders, sothat when the nio'vahle rails are in position thereon.there will be perfect alinement between the movable rails and the ails1, 101' 2, 2, with no tendency toward lateral or rotative movement.

To shift the position of the movable mile, the first operation is toelevate them by rotating'the screw-threaded sleeve, the degree ofelevation required being the height at :ivhich they will readily clearthe girders and also the ends of the rails 1, 1 and 2, Then by a quartermovement of the lever upon the head of the center bolt the movable railswill be in the required direction, the final operation to bring therails into position being to lower them in place upon the girders byactuating the sleeve in a reverse direction.

The operation of shifting the movable track to form a continuationof'either intersecting track involves as has been shown, the movement oftwo levers only, one to raise and to lower the movable track supportingstructure and the otherto impart a quarter movement thereto. It isapparent from the description that when the movable track is lowered ineither direction, the same ,will be firmly locked against verticalmovement and also against rotating or lateral movement.

Although I have described a means-for raising and lowering and a meansfor rotating the movable track-supporting structure,

I do not intend to confinemy invention to the means shown, since itis'obvious that.

changes and alterations may be made therein without being a substantialdeparture from the invention.

Having described my invention, what I Upon the head supports the.

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railroad crossing, the combination with intersecting trackways,of a rotating and vertically moving trackway disposed at theintersection of said trackways and adapted to render either continuouswhen said rotating trackway is in lowered position, supports for therotating trackway interlocking with the said rotating trackway forholding it against rotation when in lowered position, and means forimparting ver tical movement to the rotating trackway, and mechanism forrotating the same.

2. In a railroad crossing, the combination with intersecting traekways,of a rotating trackway disposed at the intersection of said trackwaysand ada ted to render either continuous, vertical alining means tosupport and hold the rotating trackway' against rota- .tion when alined'with either of the intersecting trackways, and means for elevating therotating trackway to render the alming means inoperative, substantiallyas described.

3. In arailroad crossing, the combination with intersecting trackways,of a rotating traekway disposed at the intersection of said trackwaysand adapted to render either continuous, and a support for the rotatingtrackway, said support and the rotating trackway having complementaryalining faces adapted to hold the rotating trackway against rotationwhen alined with either of the intersecting trackways, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a railroad crossing, the combination of intersecting trackways, ofa rotating trackway disposed at the intersection of said trackways andadapted to render either c011- tinuous, a. support for the rotatingtrackway, said support and the rotating trackway having complementaryalining faces to hold the rotating trackway against rotation when alinedwith either intersecting trackway, means for elevating the rotatingtrackway abov'e its support to disengage .the same therefrom, and meansfor rotating the rotating trackway, substantially as described.

In a railroad crossing, the combination of intersecting trackways, of arotating traekway disposed at the intersection of said trackways andadapted to render either continuous, a support for the rotatingtrackway,-the support and the rotating trackway having complementaryalining faces to hold the rotating trackway against rotation when,alined with either intersecting trackway, means for elevating andlowering the rotatin'g trackway, means for rotating the same, and meansfor positively locking the same when in alined position with eitherintersecting trackway, substantially as described.

6. In a railroad crossing, the combination of intersecting trackways, ofa rotating trackway disposed at the intersection of the said trackwaysadapted to render either continuous, supports for the rotating trackway,seats in the under surfaces of the rails of the rotating trackway forreceiving the supports of said rotating trackway, and means foradjusting the rotating traekway vertically with relation to thesupports, and means for turning the rotating traokway.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN V. BALDVIN, JR.

Witnesses CARL II. KELLER, Geo. D. Palmer.

